أَلا بِأَبِي مَنْ كَانَ نُوراً مُجَسَّداً

أَلا بِأَبِي مَنْ كَانَ نُوراً مُجَسَّداً

يَفِيضُ عَلَينَا بِالنَّعِيمِ رَواؤُهُ

يَفِيضُ عَلَينَا بِالنَّعِيمِ رَواؤُهُ

Ah, may my father be ransom for him who was light embodied,

Oh my father, whose light embodied

Whose beauty pours bliss upon us.

Bestows upon us bounty overflowing

ثَوَى بُرْهَةً في الأَرْضِ حَتى إِذا قَضَى

ثَوَى بُرْهَةً في الأَرْضِ حَتى إِذا قَضَى

لُبانَتَهُ مِنْهَا دَعَتْهُ سَمَاؤُهُ

لُبانَتَهُ مِنْهَا دَعَتْهُ سَمَاؤُهُ

He dwelt awhile on earth, until, when he had fulfilled

He tarried for a time upon this earth

His desire there, his heaven called him.

Until his heavenly abode came calling

وَما كانَ إِلَّا كَوْكَباً حَلَّ بِالثَّرَى

وَما كانَ إِلَّا كَوْكَباً حَلَّ بِالثَّرَى

لِوَقْتٍ فَلَمَّا تَمَّ شالَ ضِيَاؤُهُ

لِوَقْتٍ فَلَمَّا تَمَّ شالَ ضِيَاؤُهُ

He was but a star that alighted upon the dust

For he was but a star that graced the soil

For a time; when it ended, his radiance rose.

Awhile, but when his time was done, withdrew his glow

نَضَا عَنْهُ أَثْوَابَ الْفَنَاءِ وَرَفْرَفَتْ

نَضَا عَنْهُ أَثْوَابَ الْفَنَاءِ وَرَفْرَفَتْ

إِلَى الْفَلَكِ الأَعْلَى بِهِ مُضوَاؤُهُ

إِلَى الْفَلَكِ الأَعْلَى بِهِ مُضوَاؤُهُ

He cast off the robes of mortality, and there fluttered

He shed the raiment of demise, unfurled

To the highest celestial sphere, bearing him, his radiance.

To highest heaven, radiant in its hallowed flow

فَأَصْبَحَ في لُجٍّ مِنَ النُّورِ سَابِحاً

فَأَصْبَحَ في لُجٍّ مِنَ النُّورِ سَابِحاً

سَوَاحِلُهُ مَجْهُولَةٌ وَفَضاؤُهُ

سَوَاحِلُهُ مَجْهُولَةٌ وَفَضاؤُهُ

Thus he came to swim in an ocean of light,

Now swimming in a sea of light serene

Its shores unknown, and its expanse as well.

Unknown his shores, boundless his ebb and flow

تَجَرَّدَ مِنْ غِمْدِ الْحَوادِثِ ناصِعاً

تَجَرَّدَ مِنْ غِمْدِ الْحَوادِثِ ناصِعاً

وَمَا السَّيْفُ إِلاَّ أَثْرُهُ ومَضاؤُهُ

وَمَا السَّيْفُ إِلاَّ أَثْرُهُ ومَضاؤُهُ

He emerged gleaming from the sheath of life's vicissitudes,

Freed from sheath of worldly woes, pristine

And a sword is nothing but its sheen and its keenness.

Naught left but glimmer of his shining sword’s echo

فإِنْ يَكُ وَلَّى فَهُوَ باقٍ بِأُفْقِهِ

فإِنْ يَكُ وَلَّى فَهُوَ باقٍ بِأُفْقِهِ

كَنَجْمٍ يَشُوقُ النّاظِرِينَ بَهَاؤُهُ

كَنَجْمٍ يَشُوقُ النّاظِرِينَ بَهَاؤُهُ

So if he has departed, he still remains on his horizon,

If he's now gone, still he endures, his visage

Like a star whose splendor makes beholders yearn.

A star motivating yearning with its halo

وَلَوْلا اعْتِقَادِي أَنَّهُ في حَظِيرَةٍ

وَلَوْلا اعْتِقَادِي أَنَّهُ في حَظِيرَةٍ

مِنَ الْقُدْسِ لاسْتَوْلَى على الْجَفْنِ ماؤُهُ

مِنَ الْقُدْسِ لاسْتَوْلَى على الْجَفْنِ ماؤُهُ

And were it not for my belief that he is in a sanctuary

And were it not my faith he's in a garden

Of holiness, tears would have overwhelmed my eyelid.

Celestial, his memory would tears bestow

عَليكَ سَلامٌ مِنْ فُؤادٍ نَزَا بِهِ

عَليكَ سَلامٌ مِنْ فُؤادٍ نَزَا بِهِ

إِلَيكَ نِزاعٌ أَعْجَزَ الطِّبَّ داؤُهُ

إِلَيكَ نِزاعٌ أَعْجَزَ الطِّبَّ داؤُهُ

Peace be upon you from a heart stirred by

On you, peace, from a heart that sends

Longing for you, whose malady has baffled medicine.

To you, a yearning no remedy can know